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— Im not a bleeding-heart liberal, and Im glad Saddam Hussein is gone. However, I couldnt help but feel a little sorry for him tonight when I saw this picture and heard a news report about his childhood, a very sad one. Saddam had a terribly abusive step-father and grew up impoverished. His step-father taught him that brutality was the only way to succeed in life. I wonder how different the world would be if this boy had grown up in a better situation. It frightens me, as the father of a boy who is the same age now that Saddam was when this picture was made. It goes to show that a positive upbringing can have a huge impact on our world.